|
Introduction
1. Establishing research territory
- signaling the significance of research area (optional)
- providing background information (optional)
- introducing and reviewing items of previous research in the research area (obligatory)
2. Identifying a gap or niche in the area
- indicating a gap in previous research, raising a question about it, or extending previous knowledge in some way (obligatory)
- giving definitions about terms in research questions.
3. Occupying the niche
- outlining purpose or research questions / hypotheses (obligatory)
- indicating the structure of the research project (obligatory in a dissertation)
4. Research objectives and research questions or hypotheses of the present study
Literature review
There is no “right way” to arrange a literature review, but a capstone project report should include:
- concepts, theories and framework relevant to the present study
- key issues underling the research topic;
- research objectives or questions that have been examined;
- major findings of previous relevant research studies;
- main points of view and controversies about the issue; and
- the gap identified from reviewing previous research studies that the current study will aim to fill
Research methods
1. Introduction
- restatement of the research objectives and research questions
- overview of methods used with justifications
2. Data collection
- the source of data (e.g. subjects/ participants/ texts) and instruments
- the pilot study, if any (e.g. for testing the validity and reliability of questionnaire items or for the revision of the coding scheme in discourse analysis)
- the procedure for data collection, including research ethics
3. Procedure for data analysis
- the framework used for data analysis
- the procedure for data analysis
Results
1. Providing metatextual information
The part provides preparatory information by indicating the structure of the report, referring back to research objectives and questions and methodology.
2. Presenting results
- procedure description (optional part)
- statement of results
- providing evidence (e.g. statistics, examples; frequently present information visually.)
- highlighting results for readers’ attention
Discussion
1. Consolidating research space
- reminder of the research purpose
- commentary on results, probably following the steps of:
- statement of the importance/or otherwise of the results
- exemplifying to illustrate the results
- explanation of the unexpected results and exemplification
- making claims (like conclusion)
- comparison to previous research
Conclusion and implications
- Introductory statement of the research purposes/objectives, questions or hypothesis
- Summary of the results of the present research with reference to the research purposes/objectives, questions or hypothesis
- Indicating applications/ implications for practice
- Identifying useful areas for further study
|
|
